High Above Me
by slstmaraudersjple
Summary: "You're rarer than a can of dandelion and burdock and those other girls are just post-mix lemonade (Artic Monkeys)." When her abusive father unexpectedly shows up, she literally bumps into bad boy Laxus Dreyar, who steps in and takes up the role of her guardian and protector. He just didn't expect to fall for her. AU Mirajane x Laxus.
1. Prologue

Summary: "You're rarer than a can of dandelion and burdock and those other girls are just post-mix lemonade (Artic Monkeys)." Mirajane Strauss, starting her freshman year of college, works at the Fairy Tail bar and grill to provide for her younger siblings. When her abusive father unexpectedly shows up, she literally bumps into bad boy Laxus Dreyar, who steps in and takes up the role of her guardian and protector. He just didn't expect to fall for her. An AU oneshot series. Mirajane x Laxus.

A/N: I don't own FT. I just write fanfiction, so enjoy this! Feedback would be appreciated.

**High Above Me**

"_She's blood, flesh, and bone, no tucks or silicone  
__She's touch, smell, sight, taste, and sound  
__But somehow I can't believe that anything should happen"  
__-High Above Me, Tal Bachman_

* * *

**Prologue**

The first thing she did when she turned 18 was pack her bags and rent out the small apartment just down the block from the bar where she worked. Yes, she had been terrified, but she cared more for her two younger siblings than she cared about her own fears.

"I'm leaving and I'm taking Elfman and Lisanna with me." She declared, standing in the doorway with two bags filled with everything she owned.

Their abusive father had yelled and raged and shouted threats, but one look from Elfman, who was big enough to challenge his authority, and all their father did was stand silently in the doorway, angry eyes watching as the three of them left.

When the door slammed shut behind them, the three of them breathed for the first time, feeling the fear melt off their bodies and mingle with the fresh air outside.

* * *

There were a couple miles between their old house and the new apartment, and Mirajane made it this way. They didn't have a car, but none of the siblings minded the walk.

The new apartment was already furnished, and it was small but comfortable for the three siblings. There was enough room to invite friends to come over.

Mirajane was somewhat a combination of an older sister and maternal figure to her siblings. So by the time the siblings had been living together for a couple months without hearing a word from their father, she had a couple rules set for them.

One, if they were going to get jobs (which they insisted on doing to help pay for utilities and groceries), they had to work together so they could look out for each other. And two, be careful.

"Don't worry sis, we'll be fine. We're only working 4 hours! We'll pick you up after work!" Lisanna waved their older sister away cheerfully.

Mirajane smiled. "All right you two. There's leftovers in the fridge and you know where the snacks and drinks are. I'm off now. Bye!"

The siblings waved each other off, and as soon as the door closed, Elfman and Lisanna waited for a couple moments until they could no longer hear their older sister's footsteps.

"You think she's gone now?" Lisanna whispered loudly into the silence.

"I don't hear anything." Her older brother dutifully responded.

The youngest Strauss smiled. "Let's get started on the surprise dinner!"

With a matching grin, Elfman pulled out the ingredients they had bought and hidden, and the two siblings cheerfully worked together to prepare a wonderful dinner for their sister.

* * *

Mirajane had been working for Makarov since she was 12. Of course, she wasn't officially hired until she was 16, but she had managed to talk the old man into paying her under the table for her assistance.

In the beginning, she didn't say anything, but she guessed he sensed her desperation, so he would give her an allowance of sorts, paying her on a weekly basis in exchange for her help with stocking shelves. Slowly she learned how to help out in the kitchen, and she eventually learned her way around the bar. The only thing she didn't do was mix drinks, although she could serve alcohol.

It was because of his kindness that she managed to save up enough money to afford the apartment. She scrimped and scraped every spare penny she could, and her siblings contributed what little they could, and she finally went to the landlady a couple months before her 18th birthday and put a down payment on it, and after that she spent every spare moment furnishing the place so she could bring her siblings with her.

Makarov was like the father and grandfather and eccentric uncle she never had, all rolled up in one.

He was the one she eventually divulged her home situation to, and he was the one to offer her refuge at the bar when things got particularly bad, for her and her siblings. He was the first person she showed her university acceptance letter to, and he was the one to cut her hours short or tell her to rest when she overworked herself. He also chased away customers that were too touchy feely or bothering her when she was working, muttering, "That's my granddaughter you're hitting on, you perverts!"

It wasn't her dream job, but Mirajane really couldn't deny that she enjoyed working for Makarov at the Fairy Tail bar and grill.

And it was with this thought that put her in a cheerful mood as she walked to work for her afternoon shift.

* * *

"Another beer Mira!" A customer called from the bar.

"Coming!" Mirajane called, heading to the tap to fill up a new glass and sliding it his way.

"Thanks!" The man called, taking a sip of the drink.

"Hey Mira, could you take those empty boxes and toss them outside?" One of the cooks called from the kitchen.

"Sure thing!" She responded, sweeping up the boxes and heading out the side entrance.

"I thought I saw you in here. So is this how you make your living, spreading your legs for those men?" A familiar voice sneered from beside her.

Mirajane dropped the boxes in surprise, looking up to see her father.

"You-"

"I suppose I should see for myself what it is." He mused, a malicious smirk making its way to his face.

"No, that's not-" She felt nauseous. She couldn't believe this was really happening, but who was she kidding. She knew he would find her sooner or later, and she knew that she would rather he find her or her siblings. At least Lisanna had Elfman to watch out for her.

"I should have done this a long time ago." He growled, advancing towards her.

She miscalculated her step back and he lashed out, punching her across the face. She felt her stomach drop as her vision went spotty for a second and her eyes teared up.

"You're sick." She whispered, stepping back and trying to creating as much distance from her father as she could. And then she took another step and hit a wall.

She absently noted that it didn't feel like a wall though. There was a soft sort of hardness to it. She reached a hand back to feel her way along the wall and was startled when large warm fingers wrapped around her wrist in a firm but gentle grip. She froze and slowly looked back.

Her eyes met dark blue ones.

"A-are you working with him?" She whispered, feeling sick.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He responded roughly, but he tugged her behind him, facing her father. "Hey man, it's obvious that she's not interested, so back off."

Her father smiled. "She's my runaway daughter. I've come to bring her home. I've been so worried."

"He's lying." Mirajane trembled, one hand unconsciously fisting the side of his trench coat as she looked up at the dark blond of his hair.

The stranger didn't acknowledge her words, but he reached one arm back to push her a little further behind him. "How about you walk away now and we won't have any problems?" He suggested to her father.

Without another word, her father growled and charged forward, fists out and swinging.

The stranger stood calmly until her father was just feet away, and then he suddenly moved so fast Mirajane missed it.

It was over in seconds.

She wasn't sure what happened, but one second the stranger was standing there and the next her father was unconscious on the floor.

Mirajane stood in silence for a moment and then the stranger turned around.

"You're just a bundle of trouble, aren'tcha princess?" He finally commented, giving her a look over. Under the dim light, she could make out handsome features despite the jagged scar that ran down the right side of his face.

She blushed under the intensity of his stare. "M-my name is Mirajane Strauss. And thank you." She responded softly.

"Laxus Dreyar. Now what were you doing in an alley at this time of night?"

"I work at Fairy Tail."

A flicker of surprise flashed through his eyes at her admission, and then a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Really now."

"Yes."

"Well then let's get you back in there."

With that, he grabbed her wrist again and gently tugged her to his side in a somewhat protective movement, guiding her back into the bar.

At their entrance, the bar fell silent.

Mirajane looked around, confused. Was it really so surprising for someone to show up?

And then the bar burst into cheers.

"LAXUS IS BACK!"

"Laxus!"

"Dreyar!"

"LAXUSSSSS!"

Mirajane turned to the man beside her, confused. Who was he?

Laxus turned to her, ignoring the attention and asked quietly, "Where's the old man?"

Makarov?

"He's in his office. Do you know where it is?" She timidly responded.

He looked at her in amusement. "I daresay I do. Unless my gramps changed his office recently."

At that admission, Mirajane's eyes widened.

Gramps… then Laxus was the grandson that Makarov would fondly tell her amusing anecdotes about!

Seeing that she finally caught on, he gently tugged on some of her hair, drawing her attention to him. "I'm going to see him. Don't let any of these idiots give you trouble."

And then he raised his voice for the first time, his words loud and clear. "Let me know if any of these idiots give you trouble, all right?"

The bar fell silent as everyone heard his words.

Realizing that he was waiting for a verbal response, she jerkily nodded. "A-all right."

He gave her a quick smile, let go of her hair, and turned and went upstairs to Makarov's office, leaving behind a stunned bar.

* * *

He had just arrived back in Magnolia City after years, and he had stopped in the alley to take a call when the side door abruptly opened to reveal the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He could immediately tell that she was younger than him, although not by much. Her long white hair fell down her back in soft waves and when she turned he could see innocently sparkling blue eyes the color of the ocean.

When she was approached by the stranger and backed into him, he was inwardly amused. He would've liked to see her reaction to inadvertently feeling him up, but he was more concerned for her, because he could sense nothing but malicious intent from the approaching stranger. Before he realized it, he had gently grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind him. He felt her grab onto the edge of his coat, which he didn't mind, but her fearful whispering bothered him. After that, it really didn't take much effort to take down the man.

"You're just a bundle of trouble, aren'tcha princess?" He finally commented, giving her a look over to make sure she wasn't hurt or injured. He immediately recognized the symbol of the uniform she was wearing. So she worked at Fairy Tail, huh?

She blushed and responded softly, "M-my name is Mirajane Strauss. And thank you."

After she confirmed that she did work for his grandpa, he carefully escorted her back in.

The bar fell silent as the regular patrons immediately recognized them (especially him) and burst into a round of greetings.

Seeing her confusion, he decided to divulge that Makarov was his grandfather. When her eyes widened at the revelation, he gently tugged on some of her hair, drawing her attention to him. "I'm going to see him. Don't let any of these idiots give you trouble."

When she stared at him in stunned silence, he raised his voice and repeated himself for everyone to hear. "Let me know if any of these idiots give you trouble, all right?"

The bar fell silent as everyone heard his words.

He patiently looked at her until she realized that he was waiting for a verbal response and she jerkily nodded. "A-all right."

He gave her a quick smile, let go of her hair, and turned and went upstairs to his grandpa's office, leaving behind a completely silent bar that burst into sound again when he closed the door.

"So you're back." Makarov stated blandly.

Instead of responding, he said, "How old is she?"

Makarov looked at him, a glint of protectiveness appearing in his eye. "Why do you want to know?"

That was a good question, Laxus had to admit. He wasn't quite sure why he even really cared, but for some reason he wanted to know more about her.

"Just do." He muttered, and then he looked at his grandfather. Makarov never did anything without a reason, and to hire her… "You know about her family life."

"That's why I hired her in the first place." His grandfather responded, and then glared at him. "She's like the granddaughter I always wanted. You will leave her alone, Laxus. She already has enough on her plate. She deserves someone who will treat her like she deserves to be treated."

Laxus gave his grandfather a look. "I just asked how old she was."

"She turned 18 a few months ago. And don't think I don't know about your womanizing ways. Stay away from her." Makarov gritted.

Laxus looked at his grandfather for a moment and finally said, "Don't always listen to what you hear, old man. I never go after something I don't intend to keep."

* * *

A couple hours later, the bells on the doors chimed, signaling the arrival of customers.

"Hello, and welcome to Fairy Tail!" Mirajane chirped, breaking out into a smile as she saw the familiar forms of her younger siblings.

"We're here to pick you up silly!" Lisanna laughed.

Mirajane looked at the clock. "Well you guys are early! I still have an hour, so why don't you two sit down and I'll bring you drinks and a snack?"

Elfman laughed. "That wouldn't be very manly to have you serve us, sis. Just water would be nice."

"Ah Mira, why don't you take off?" A voice called out.

The siblings turned to look at the figure on the stairs.

Makarov wasn't very tall, but he was a regal old man who carried himself in a dignified manner most of the time except for when his mentees were involved.

"But there's still an hour-" She started, but she was interrupted.

"And I'm willing to bet that you didn't take your dinner break."

She turned to the new voice and immediately recognized Laxus, who was leaning against the wall next to the stairs, smirking in amusement.

"Well?" Makarov asked, latching onto the opening his grandson gave him.

"Um."

Lisanna laughed. "I'm guessing that's a no, sis."

"Mirajane, take the rest of the day and the weekend off. Get some rest, spend your paycheck, watch movies, do girly things. Don't spend all your time studying. Live your life while you're still young." Makarov stated, coming down the stairs and patting her hand in a grandfatherly manner.

At that, she smiled softly and bent down and hugged him in gratitude. "All right, thank you."

When she stood, she turned to look at Laxus, unsure of what to do. "And you too."

"Stay outta trouble, dollface. I can't always be there to save you." He responded, waving a hand over his head as he walked off.

* * *

"Surprise!" Her siblings shouted gleefully as Lisanna flipped the light switch on to reveal the dinner that they had prepared.

Mirajane gasped in delight, turning to hug her and then Elfman. "Oh you two…"

They had made a simple dinner of lasagna and salad, but it was the thought that counted, and Mirajane was overjoyed at the thought her siblings put into the simple meal.

"Let's dig in!"

* * *

"So who was that guy?" Lisanna asked slyly in between bites of salad.

"Laxus?" Mirajane asked absently.

"Yeah, we've never seen him before! He's hot!" Lisanna exclaimed, causing Elfman to choke on his bite of lasagna.

"Well…" Mirajane gave her siblings a carefully edited version of what happened in the ally, and when she was done, Lisanna looked worried and Elfman looked angry.

"It's just like our father to do such an unmanly thing to a lady!" Her brother yelled in frustration.

"But it's okay, Laxus came to the rescue and I'll take better care of myself next time, I promise!" Mirajane tried to appease him, but he just looked upset. "You shouldn't have to take better care of yourself. You shouldn't have to be worrying about that man in the first place, Mira. That's not all right. I know it's not your fault, but it worries me."

"As long as you two are all right I can handle anything." Mirajane smiled.

Lisanna grinned. "We're still picking you up every day from now on. We only work 4 hours in the afternoons anyways."

Mirajane laughed. "If you insist."

* * *

Another female sauntered up to him with a seductive smile. "Hey there."

He glanced at her, bored. "Not interested."

The blonde pouted. "I'm sure I could-"

He pushed her away and repeated himself. "Not interested."

She bristled off, angry and humiliated.

Freed laughed. "That's like… number 10? What's the matter Laxus? Usually you've got a couple you're interested in."

"That's because someone else caught his interest. A certain waitress at a certain bar certain people like to occupy." Evergreen smirked slyly.

"Mirajane?" Bixlow gaped.

"Shaddup." Laxus scowled at his friends, but didn't deny what any of them said.

"Well it's about time!" Evergreen declared. "You need to settle down with a nice girl and she's a nice girl who deserves a little pampering!"

"You know her?" Laxus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Kind of." She responded, then said, "She's seems to be good friends with Erza Scarlet and her crew."

Ah. Scarlet. That would mean that she would know Natsu Dragneel and Grey Fullbuster, childhood friends of his. But he didn't remember a girl with white hair from his childhood, so that would mean that she met them after he left.

"Tell me everything you know about her." He demanded.

* * *

_End Chapter 1._


	2. Part 1

A/N: Before I forget, I don't own FT. I just write fanfiction.

**Part 1**

"_I know where I belong and nothing's gonna happen, yeah  
_'_cus she's so high, high above me, she's so lovely  
__She's so high, like Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, or Aphrodite  
__She's so high, high above me"  
__-High Above Me, Tal Bachman_

* * *

The local university was okay. It wasn't the best but it was above average. The best thing about it was that it offered a 6 year nursing program that included internships.

The other good thing about it was getting to see Erza Scarlet.

Erza Scarlet was Mirajane's best friend. There was only a couple months' difference between the two girls in age. They knew practically everything about each other, and Erza tended to be overprotective where Mirajane was concerned. Erza's outspoken personality was a perfect complement to Mirajane's much shyer one, but the girls were as close as sisters.

And so, Mirajane told Erza about her run-in with Laxus.

"Laxus Dreyar?" The redhead asked, her eyes widening in surprise before narrowing in speculation.

"Do you know him?" She asked.

Erza nodded. "We grew up together. He moved away a while ago. I guess if he's back in town, that means the regulars are all going to start hanging out at the bar again. That means we'll be seeing a lot more of each other, although I'm not too sure you'll come to appreciate everyone's eccentricities."

Mirajane blinked. "I don't remember them too well. I'm sure it won't be too terrible."

Her best friend snorted. "Shall I record that under 'famous last words'?"

* * *

As chairs flew across the room, Mirajane inwardly wondered if she should start moving the alcohol to beneath the table to protect them from the ruckus going on.

"Told you." Erza smirked from where she was perched at the bar, observing the fight.

"You're not joining in?" She asked, wiping off a couple plates. She was almost _positive_ that Natsu and Gray were responsible for the flying chairs.

Erza shook her head. "Nah. I'll just beat them up later."

Mirajane smiled. "Don't hit them too hard. They need those last brain cells for exams."

The redhead snorted. "Like it'll help."

The doors to the bar slammed open and a familiar blond stepped in. All sounds immediately stopped as Laxus walked through the doors and headed straight for her.

"They giving you trouble?" He asked, his voice rough but soft steel.

It took Mirajane a moment (and a nudge from Erza) to realize that he was speaking to her. "A-as long as they don't break anything…?"

Laxus gave her a look of disbelief, and then turned to face their audience. "You make a mess, you clean it. She's not doing it for you, you got that?"

There were various responses to his demand, and things quieted down after that with the exception of a few people wandering around the bar and picking up rubbish and fallen furniture.

"T-Thanks," She whispered shyly.

Laxus just took a seat at the bar and glanced at the menu board. "I'll take the special and an Angry Orchard."

Mirajane nodded, acknowledging his order.

Erza just sat back and smirked.

* * *

"Welcome back." Erza murmured to the blond.

"Thanks." Laxus muttered to the redhead.

"How's life been treating you these past years?" She asked curiously.

"Not too bad. You?" He responded.

"Pretty well." She answered. The martial arts expert finished her drink and put it down on the bar, slipping a couple notes under her mug before calling out to Mirajane.

"Hey Mira, I'll see you tomorrow. I gotta-"

"Make a phone call to Jellal?" The waitress cut in slyly, returning with Laxus's order.

Erza blushed and Mirajane laughed, waving a hand in dismissal. "I'll see you tomorrow and you can spill those juicy deets,"

The redhead muttered something indistinguishable and headed out the door.

Mirajane laughed and placed the tray in front of Laxus. "Here you go! Enjoy!" She exclaimed with a flourish, depositing utensils and condiments before lifting the lid and taking it away.

"I will," He smirked, sending a wink in her direction, causing her to blush.

* * *

Laxus slowly ate his meal, pondering over the information Evergreen had dutifully reiterated from what she knew.

"_I don't know her that well, but from what I remember, she's got two younger siblings, Elfman and Lisanna. There's a one year difference from one sibling to the next. Mirajane's the oldest, then Elfman, then Lisanna._

_They started hanging out at Fairy Tale 6 years ago, when she was 12. They just came in and sat down in a booth and just kinda camped out there. Mirajane always wore a hoodie and hid her face so no one ever really saw her. Her siblings always stayed with her too, no matter what anyone said. Everyone thought she was some weird freak, but Erza suspected something was happening at home. I guess something was, since she never really said anything. Her siblings almost wore regular clothes. One time they came in and all of them were wearing hoodies, and they were hunched over like something was bothering them. They sat down and didn't say anything to anyone and just sat there for the longest time._

_Erza tried to talk to her a few times, and I guess eventually they became best friends. And then one day Mirajane went to talk to Makarov, and the next thing we knew we started seeing less of her. Then, a couple years ago, she walked into the bar wearing normal clothes for once – just jeans and a t-shirt, but the point was that everyone saw her face for the first time. I think that was also around the time Makarov hired her. And then, the Mirajane you see is pretty much the Mirajane we know. If you want to know anything else, I'd say talk to Erza or her siblings, although they're all pretty protective of her. She's just as fiercely protective of them, though._

_Oh, and I don't think she's ever dated anyone before. Plenty of guys think she's attractive, but I don't think she's ever really noticed them. It's actually pretty funny that you like her, because it seems like she likes you too."_

Well, Laxus wouldn't go so far as to say that he _liked_ her, but he did think she was pretty – no, beautiful – and didn't seem dimwitted.

He was so lost in thought he jumped when he felt a gentle touch on his hand. He blinked and saw none other than the object of his thoughts standing in front of him, a slight frown marring her flawless kin. "Are you okay?"

He cleared his throat. "Y-yeah. Just… lost in thought."

She gave him a small smile. "I know the feeling. Was the food all right?"

"Yeah. It's pretty good."

She smiled, clearing away the empty plates. "I'm glad."

* * *

Mirajane looked through the stack of requests that was on her agenda for the day.

Makarov had a job request board in the back of the bar, filled with odd jobs that any patron of the bar was free to peruse and take up, so long as they checked out with Mirajane, who recorded who took what job.

At the moment, there was a handful, and so she took up the task of recording them in her ledger before highlighting pertinent details and putting them up.

She just hoped that Natsu and Gray wouldn't cause any more damage to the furniture while fighting over requests.

A little later, she was perched on a stool with a stack of flashcards in her hands. She had a midterm tomorrow and was frantically trying to review everything. She was always diligent with putting aside study time every day, but every extra bit helped.

"Why are you even here?" Erza questioned. The redheaded business major had already breezed through her midterms.

"Because I have a shift. Besides, I'm sure I'll pass. It's just a matter of whether it's going to be an ace or a high 90." Mirajane muttered, scanning the card in her hand.

Her best friend rolled her eyes. "You're going to pass and stay in the program, and Magnolia's going to keep paying for your scholarship. You'll fly through your midterms. Now stop stressing out. I want my strawberry cake and I want you to take your break and eat with me."

Mirajane couldn't help the smile that came over her face at Erza's demand, but she recognized it in the spirit it was given. "All right, one strawberry cake and one coffee cake coming up!"

The two friends had an enjoyable afternoon, and after Erza left Mirajane made her over to the bar's phone and called home.

"Strauss residence!" Lisanna chirped after the third ring.

"Hey you two!" Mirajane smiled.

"Hi sis!" Elfman shouted from the background. She guess that Lisanna had put her on speakerphone.

"If I remember correctly, you two have projects and exams to work on, right?" She asked.

"Yeah, but we can still come pick you up!" Her baby sister responded immediately, anticipating her thoughts.

Mirajane laughed. "I would love that, but your studies are more important and I don't want to interrupt you guys. I'm sure I can find someone."

"Are you sure?" Elfman asked, worry evident at his voice.

Her siblings were concerned that their father would try another underhanded tactic like last time.

"Yeah," Mirajane sighed, understanding their concern and trying to reassure them.

"If you say so. Otherwise just call us, okay? And hurry home!" Lisanna ordered.

She smiled. "Of course. Just leave the leftovers and I'll eat when I come home."

Her brother and sister had somehow commandeered dinner duty when she had work. On the weekends she didn't have a shift, they would work together to make a fancier meal, but the three siblings considered this task division an excellent opportunity for Elfman and Lisanna to develop their domestic skills. At least Elfman considered it manly to have the ability to cook a decent meal…

* * *

When her shift was over, Mirajane grabbed her jacket and purse and waved goodnight to Makarov and the few patrons she recognized before slipping out the doors of the bar and making her way to a street light.

It was kind of chilly at nighttime, so she slipped her jacket on. She was debating on whether or not to hail a cab when something – a pair of earmuffs? – was placed over her ears.

Startled, she jumped and glanced to her side.

"You looked cold," Laxus muttered gruffly.

She put a hand to her chest and gulped for air. "You startled me!"

He offered her a lopsided grin. "I'll remember that next time. So where are you headed to now?"

Mirajane frowned. "I'm heading home. My shift's over."

He matched her frown. "Don't your siblings usually pick you up?"

"They have studies to attend to. I told them to take care of school stuff."

Laxus raised an eyebrow. "You're an idiot." He stated bluntly.

Her jaw dropped open. "What-"

"Do you not remember that incident in the alleyway? That guy, there's more people like him. They're not good. And you, you're just bait." He ranted, his eyes dark and stormy, his face matching the seriousness of his voice.

"I didn't want to bother anyone," She whispered, dropping her gaze.

Two fingers reached out and placed themselves under her chin, tilting her head up to look at him.

"I'm serious, Mirajane Strauss. Don't ever go wandering the streets at night by yourself." He stated, and then he moved his hand to her elbow. "I'm bringing you home. Where do you live?"

That was the first time he had ever used her name.

He must be so furious with her…

"Magnolia Heights," She whispered dejectedly.

"I know where that is. Let's go." He looped an arm through hers and led her down the street towards the direction of her apartment.

* * *

"I'm sorry," Her voice was so quiet he almost missed it.

He sighed and stopped, looking at her.

She looked so forlorn, so lost…

"I know you don't want to bother people, but my gramps would kill us if any of us let you walk home alone, especially since you live so close. And if he didn't, I'd kill 'em. So I'm walking you home from now on. Every time your siblings are studying. As a matter of fact, make that every day. I'm walking you home from now on. So get used to it, Mirajane Strauss." He stated arrogantly.

Her eyes widened as she was rendered speechless at his usage of her name twice in the same hour.

He smirked and leaned in, quietly repeating himself, "Get used to it, sweetheart."

He dropped her off at her apartment, walking her to the door.

"From now on, don't leave without me." He reminded her.

Mirajane could only nod silently, still trying to process his words from earlier. She then remembered the headphones – not earmuffs – sitting on her head and reached up for them, but he reached out and placed a hand over hers, stopping her. "Keep 'em. They look good on you." He commented, and looked her in the eyes, stating, "Don't forget."

She watched in quiet contemplation as he left, giving her a grin and a wayward salute as he headed out.

* * *

"W-wait," Her quiet voice suddenly called after him, and his sensitive ears caught it almost immediately.

He stopped at the doorway to the stairs and leaned against it, looking at her expectantly. "Yeah?"

She made her way over to him and stopped when she was in front of him, biting her bottom lip nervously in thought.

Finally, she went on her tiptoes and brushed a chaste kiss across his bottom jaw. "Thank you," she murmured shyly, blushing as she turned and nearly fled, leaving behind a shell-shocked Laxus.

* * *

Finally alone in her room, she reached up and took off the headphones. They were decorated, with his initials on each side of the headphone. _LD._

She was about to put them in her purse when his words echoed in her head.

"_Keep 'em. They look good on you."_

Despite the darkness of her room, she felt her face heat up from his unintended compliment.

* * *

_**End part 1.**_


	3. Part 2

A/N: I had to throw in 'Demon Mirajane' eventually. This and the next chapter are probably the harder chapters to write. This one was a bit difficult, the next one's about half written. I'll be uploading as I finish them. I would say that we're about halfway through with this short fanfic.

**Part 2**

"_First class and fancy free, she's high society  
__She's got the best of everything  
__What could a guy like me ever really offer?  
__She's perfect as she can be  
__Why should I even bother?"  
__-High Above Me, Tal Bachman_

* * *

"A-a job? For me?" Mirajane stuttered in surprise.

"Close your mouth before flies go in, Mira. You know you're beautiful and you have been offered modeling jobs before. This one I feel comfortable with, mostly because they made a similar offer for both you and Laxus." Makarov explained, handing her a couple sheets of paper.

Mirajane scanned the contract. "So basically… it's a back-to-back photo shoot where we do something together and then we do separate solo photoshoots and they pay us separately along with royalties from what they sell to magazines and other companies?"

"Pretty much. For a first time model, five figures is pretty decent money. That should be enough for emergency savings or for splurging on a shopping spree." The bar owner grinned.

"Well… I guess I'd feel safer if Laxus was okay with it."

* * *

"This is almost blackmail, old man." Laxus glared at his grandfather, but he couldn't bring himself to be too terribly upset.

"So you don't want to give your old grandfather peace of mind by ensuring that the closest thing he has to a granddaughter is going to be all right?" Makarov asked, an amused glint in his eye.

"I didn't say I wasn't gonna do it." He muttered, grabbing the papers out of his grandfather's hand.

* * *

"I'm picking you up at 10AM. Make sure you're dressed by then. We'll grab breakfast before we go." He informed Mirajane, stopping her in the hallway as she headed back to the bar.

"O-Okay," She stuttered shyly.

He grabbed her wrist gently and placed a cell phone in her hands. She looked at it in confusion and he elaborated, "I'll call you. I know you don't have a phone."

"I can't-" She started, but he cut her off. "Just in case."

She bit her bottom lip nervously and finally nodded. "Thank you."

He smirked, and impulsively leaned in and brushed his lips against the corner of her mouth, murmuring, "Good girl," before stepping backwards and observing her adorably flushed face with amusement.

* * *

Mirajane went home that night to break the news to her siblings. Lisanna squealed with excitement but Elfman frowned. "It's not very manly to let you be ogled at by the guys, sis."

She laughed. "Well Laxus is picking me up in the morning and the only reason Makarov recommended I take the job was that they offered it to both of us."

Lisanna's eyes sparkled. "You _have_ to tell me all about this later!"

"We know you're beautiful sis, so smile for us and be careful," Elfman said gruffly.

Mirajane simply smiled and drew him in for a hug.

* * *

She woke up at 8:30AM, deciding to put on a light layer of makeup and a simple floral dress. She threw a thin cardigan into her purse along with the cell phone Laxus leant her and some money.

She heard knocks on her door around 9:45. "Coming!" She called, hurrying to the door. She peeked out the door before undoing the chain to let him in. "You're early," She commented.

"I know," He smirked, giving her a glance over. "You look nice."

"Thanks. You too," She responded, admiring how the dark blue v-neck shirt he wore complemented his eyes and showed off his toned arms.

"You ready?" He asked, glancing around the living room.

She nodded. "Elfman and Lisanna are still sleeping. I left breakfast in the oven."

He waited for her to ensure the door was locked before leading her out the back door to the parking lot.

When he spotted the confusion on her face, he grinned. "What, did you think we'd be walking?"

Mirajane blushed, and he laughed, gently steering her to a black sports car and opening the passenger door for her, making sure she had buckled up before he closed it and went over to the driver's side to seat himself.

The photo studio was a 20 minute drive away, and they had plenty of time, so he stopped by a pancake house before they continued on their way.

* * *

Upon their arrival to the photo studio, Mirajane's first thought was that the place was chaos.

There were racks of clothing haphazardly crammed on, makeup and props covering every inch of the tables she could see, people running around pulling at the ends of their hair…

As soon as Laxus and Mirajane made their entrance known, everyone froze. It was almost comical.

"We're here for a photo shoot." Laxus stated, one eyebrow raised, his expression unamused.

The photographer rushed forward, stars in his eyes. "My name's Jason! You two are going to be perfect! This is going to be excellent!"

He had his assistants usher them to separate dressing rooms to prepare for the shoot, and Laxus caught Mirajane's wide eyes and sent a wink her way before the assistants closed the door.

They did a series of photo shoots based off a formal event series designed from Magnolia University's fashion department.

Laxus was mostly irritated because the costume crew kept changing him into suits or tuxedos with minor variation, but he understood that he was essentially man candy to compliment the main model, Mirajane.

She was dressed in gown after gown after gown with colors that complimented her – blue, purple, red, pink, white.

The camera crew brought in props and it was supposed to be their jobs to utilize the props.

He could tell that she was nervous though, so he decided to do what he did best – fluster her. He would smirk at her, hold her hand, hold her close, flirt with her outrageously.

And as she blushed, Jason had faded into the background, letting him do essentially run the show. She had pretty much forgotten that they were doing a photo shoot, too engrossed in responding to him.

"Having fun yet?" He breathed, twirling her and waiting for her to come back into his arms.

She nodded breathlessly, her face flushed, strands of hair falling out of the elegant updo.

She leaned into him and leaned her forehead against his chest, and he brought his arms up to wrap around her waist.

"And that's a wrap!" Jason called from the background, startling Mirajane.

Laxus chuckled as they were led away to change into comfortable clothes before they were shown the photos taken.

Mirajane's eyes widened when she saw the pictures. "When did he take these…?"

"And we want copies." Laxus grinned as she blushed.

* * *

Laxus drove them back to Fairy Tail bar and grill and parked his car around the back, saying that he had go there later to meet his friends, so he would walk her home first before making his way back to Fairy Tail.

They walked in comfortable silence for a while, but Mirajane was distracted every time their hands brushed each other and she felt a small tingle of electricity run up her arms.

After the first couple times though, Laxus just grabbed her hand with a gentle grip. "It was bugging me," He muttered, and she couldn't help but smile.

And when she glanced over at him from the side, she could see a small smile on his face too.

* * *

Laxus dropped her off at the door to her apartment like a complete gentleman.

"Thank you," She murmured shyly, offering him a smile.

"I know how you can thank me," He grinned, and tapped a finger to his lips. "Right here."

She didn't know she could blush so fast or hard. But nonetheless, she leaned on her tiptoes and pressed a cheek to his jaw. "Thank you," She grinned, and ducked into her apartment, closing the door behind her and locking it with a 'click'.

"Tease," He muttered at the door, but he couldn't help the grin on his face.

* * *

It was a rare afternoon that Mirajane and Lisanna got to spend any time together to do girly things. It just so happened that on this particular afternoon, Elfman had to go over to a friend's house to work on a project, leaving the sisters an afternoon to do all things girly. They had bottles of nail polish and makeup laid out in the center of the table. They had planned on doing facials and makeup and mani-pedis to movie soundtracks, and they were in the middle of setting everything up when there was an abrupt knock on the door.

"Coming!" Mirajane called, hurrying to it. Expecting it to be Elfman, she opened the door without looking out the peephole, revealing-

"Hello, worthless wench." Their father stated, before backhanding her across the face. She stumbled back and he took the opportunity to come in.

Observing his surroundings, he commented, "What a shame that your brother's not here to protect you this time."

Blinking through the spots in her vision, she tried to focus on him. She dimly heard Lisanna scream in the background.

She tilted her head back and saw her sister standing in the doorway, and their father was already advancing towards her.

Gritting her teeth, Mirajane threw herself into her father, knocking them both down.

"Run Lisanna! Go!"

"I won't leave you!" Her baby sister screamed.

"Go and get help!" Mirajane yelled determinedly, and her father threw a punch at her. She threw a kick in his direction with as much strength as she could and heard his yell of pain, but she was more focused on listening for the movement of footsteps that told her that Lisanna had at least gotten away.

"What a shame," her father commented when he realized Lisanna was gone. "I was going to invite your brother to join us. Maybe your sister can be first, just to see you break."

Mirajane was furious, angry and upset at this man. "How _dare_ you," She seethed.

She saw red.

* * *

Lisanna had never run so fast in her life. She was absolutely terrified.

She had only seen that look on her sister's face once, and she never wanted to see it again.

As soon as she saw Fairy Tail in sight, she started screaming at the top of her lungs, uncaring of who heard.

"_SOMEONE HELP! PLEASE! SOMEBODY! HELP!"_

By the time she burst through the doors, Erza and Laxus were standing there, ready to head out.

She collapsed in Erza's arms. "He came – Mira told me to run and he _hit_ her and she tackled him and told me to run and I said no and she _screamed_ at me to run and-"

Erza glanced at Laxus's form, already disappearing out the door. "I'll follow you." She called out, knowing his sensitive hearing would pick it up.

The redhead glanced down at the trembling figure in her arms. "It's going to be okay."

Lisanna only shook her head, tears escaping her closed eyelids, her voice only a whisper when she finally spoke. "The demon's here."

* * *

Mirajane looked down at the crumpled figure at her feet. Her eyes were dark and her lips curled up into a malevolent smirk. "You're going to stay away from my family, do you understand, you worthless man?"

Her father nodded weakly, terror in his eyes.

At that, the dark eyes faded, leaving behind a girl with wide, scared eyes who started crying and screaming.

It was at that moment when police officers burst into the apartment with their weapons drawn.

* * *

"Hey, you should probably call your brother to meet you here so you can fill him in on what happened." Evergreen spoke up.

Lisanna blinked. "He… he doesn't have a cell phone."

"Where is he?" Freed interjected.

"He's at a friend's house working on a school project."

Freed frowned. "Your brother's a high school senior, right?" At Lisanna's nod, he continued, "I believe I can get a hold of him."

At that, Erza leaned in to speak quietly to Lisanna. "I'm going to meet Laxus at your apartment. We're probably going to head to the hospital afterwards, and these guys are Laxus's friends. They won't let anything happen to you. Fill Elfman in and these guys'll take you to the hospital to meet us, okay?"

When the younger girl nodded, the redhead took off. Freed then whipped up his cell phone and dialed a number, speaking to the person on the other line. "Do you know the whereabouts of Elfman Strauss?" When the other person responded, he inquired, "Is he available to speak? His sister Lisanna requires his presence."

Freed then passed his cell phone over to the grateful younger girl.

* * *

When Laxus arrived on the scene, her father was already being put into a police car in handcuffs.

Mirajane was off to the side with a police officer, leaning against a patrol car.

"_I saw h-him and the only thing I could think of was L-Lisanna, and I told her to run, and she said she wasn't going to l-leave me, but I s-screamed for her to g-go and I tackled him and he h-hit me but she got away and I was so s-scared!"_ She sobbed uncontrollably, her body trembling as the police officer recorded the incident. There were cuts and bruises on her face and a thin blanket was draped over her shoulders.

When the officer was done writing, he closed his notebook. "We'll make sure he's locked up for a long time, ma'am. But for now we should get you to the hospital."

At that, Mirajane started screaming. _"No, no, not the hospital! Please don't!"_

Medics rushed forward to restrain her, but Laxus cut through them all. "Let me try," He shouted, his voice clearly heard through all the people on the scene.

He carefully approached the traumatized girl. "Hey, it's me."

She looked up with glassy eyes. "L-Laxus?"

He nodded in affirmation. "Yeah. You're okay now, but we need to get you looked at. Can you come with me?"

Mirajane shook her head violently. "Please, not the h-hospital, don't make me-"

He gently shushed her, enfolding her into his arms. "C'mere Mira. I'm going with you" He held her until she quieted down and stopped trembling, and then he picked her up, wrapping her legs around his waist as he walked them to the ambulance and sat down on the gurney. He raised an eyebrow at the medics staring incredulously. "Well?" At his voice, they all snapped to life and moved to their assigned positions. A couple climbed inside the ambulance with them.

Mirajane sat limply in his arms, her eyes dull. Laxus just held her, moving her arm so the medic could take her blood pressure and insert an IV with saline. They checked the cuts on her face and cleaned and bandaged them, and then Laxus held her close.

When the medics were done, they finally left the two alone.

* * *

She couldn't feel anything except for the millions of thoughts running through her head.

She hated hospitals. Nothing good ever came out of them.

But Laxus…

She finally looked up, realizing that he was observing her.

He looked at her with an intensity she had never seen, and then he moved one hand from her waist to her neck and crushed her to him in a desperately gentle kiss, and she realized that he had been worried about her and he was trying to reassure himself that she was all right.

"I'm okay," She whispered in between kisses, realizing that she needed this touching reassurance just as much as he did.

"_I'm okay,"_

* * *

_**End part 2.**_


	4. Part 3

A/N: This chapter's a little shorter than the others. Mostly filler and fluff, a little background, a little less crazy. We're slowly getting there, folks. Feedback is greatly appreciated! Laxus is just so awkward it's adorable.

**Part 3**

"'_cus she's so high, high above me, she's so lovely  
__She's so high, like Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, or Aphrodite  
__She's so high, high above me"  
__-High Above Me, Tal Bachman_

* * *

_Their father took Lisanna once and locked her in a closet for two days. He only left a flap where Mirajane could push food through two times a day. Mirajane had begged to trade places with her sister, but the only thing she got for her efforts was a backhand across her face that left the room spinning._

_That second day was the first day Elfman had gotten so angry he beat his father up. It was the first time it had happened, and it was enough to make their father realize that it was no longer possible to bully his children. Mirajane was 16 at the time, Elfman 15 and Lisanna 14._

_After that, he distanced himself with his children and retreated to alcohol and verbal and psychological abuse._

_But by then, the damage had already been done._

_Mirajane had always taken the majority of the beatings for her siblings, always telling their father to triple everything so he wouldn't hit her siblings. As a result, she often wore hoodies or long sleeved shirts to cover up most of her body. Her siblings always felt guilty, and she would only smile through her bruises and cuts and tears and say, "As long as I can see your smiling faces, I can take anything from him."_

_They were each other's companions through childhood._

_Mirajane went to Makarov when she was 12 and begged for a job. Makarov refused at first, but after her persistent pleading, he gave in and allowed her to re-stock shelves, passing her off as his granddaughter who helped him sometimes, and paid her under the table. Eventually the odd little girl grew on him, and he helped her open a bank account so she could deposit her money there. When she turned 16, the first thing she did was apply for a work license and officially applied to Fairy Tail._

_A little after Mirajane started working for Makarov, she eventually divulged the truth behind her family life, and Makarov opened the bar to her and her siblings. The bar and grill happened to be a hangout spot for many children their age, so the siblings wouldn't look too out of place._

_Elfman and Lisanna would be invited to join in the games with the other children, but they loyally stuck by her side. She would tell them to go, but they refused to leave her side. Instead, the siblings would sit quietly in a booth, sipping water or working on homework. No one cared much about Mirajane. They didn't know whether she was male or female because of the way she dressed, and they never saw more than the occasional glimpse of her face._

_Sometime during her junior year of high school, when her father finally stopped beating on them, her bruises healed for the first time in years and she mustered up the courage to wear a nicer outfit – jeans and a t-shirt._

_It was almost ironic how no one recognized her at first, but Erza Scarlet eventually made her way over to the Strauss siblings and before she knew it, Mirajane had made her first and best friend outside of her family._

* * *

Mirajane blinked into consciousness and the first thing she saw was light.

She must have groaned or made a sound, because she heard movement and various exclamations of relief.

Her siblings appeared into view, their eyes red from crying.

"H-Hey," She coughed, her throat dry and scratchy.

A cup of water almost instantaneously appeared by her side, and she realized Erza was there as well. "We were worried, but the doctors said you were just exhausted and recovering." The redhead informed her.

Mirajane gulped the water down. "I'm glad you two are okay," She said to her siblings, reaching out to hold them. They gladly fell into her arms, and she patted them on the head, stroking their hair to calm them down like she used to when they were little and scared.

She looked around, wondering who was missing, when the door opened and Laxus stepped through the door. He looked tired, as if he hadn't been sleeping well.

Upon seeing that she was awake, he flashed her a quick smile. "Finally up, your royal highness?"

She smiled in return, seeing the relief in his eyes. "It's about time."

"I'm not man enough to protect you," Elfman stated dejectedly.

Mirajane frowned. "It's not your fault sweetie. You know he's probably been stalking us to figure out when we're the most vulnerable. If anything, he's scared of you. You're the man of the house, after all."

He didn't look convinced, but he let it go.

"Sis?" Lisanna asked timidly.

"What is it sweetheart?" She asked tenderly, running her fingers though her sister's hair to make sure she wasn't hurt or injured.

"D-did the demon come out?" Her sister whispered.

Mirajane 'hmmm'd thoughtfully, then commented, "I honestly don't remember much after I told you to left. The next thing I knew, he was on the ground and the police arrived, so I guess so. But you know that I would never hurt you guys."

Elfman nodded affirmatively and Lisanna looked outraged that the thought would even cross their older sister's mind. "You're just like those moms who summon superhero strength when their kids are in danger!" The youngest Strauss quipped.

At that, Mirajane laughed softly. "And nobody messes with my kids."

* * *

Mirajane was forced to stay in the hospital for two nights to recuperate.

She tried to console herself by telling herself that it could have been worse and she could have had broken bones.

It worked for all of maybe thirty seconds.

Groaning in frustration (because she was a responsible older sister and sent her siblings to school by telling them that they could visit her after school and that staying with her in the hospital was not an acceptable excuse for ditching no matter how sweet and endearing they were), she laid back down and attempted to get some sleep.

"I'm surprised you haven't broken out by now," A familiar voice commented.

She opened her eyes and immediately found Laxus leaning against the doorway, an amused expression on his face.

"Leave me to die," She moaned.

"I didn't know Mirajane Strauss could be so grumpy. It's actually kind of adorable if you think about it," He commented with a grin, making his way over to the unoccupied chair next to her bed.

"You're not the one stuck here for two nights," She tried to glare at him but it was too much effort.

"And look at you, down one night with one more to go."

She pouted.

* * *

Laxus wasn't sure how on earth she could be any more _adorable_. He inwardly shuddered at the usage of the word, but there really was no other way to put it.

He had been furious when Lisanna burst into the bar, and that fury quickly turned into concern that melted into some sort of desperation and before he knew it, he was _kissing_ her and she was soft and supple in his arms and she was kissing him back and she tasted like honey and all he wanted was to keep kissing her. When she whispered, "I'm okay," he felt the worry literally melt off of him and he pulled back, looking her in the eye, seeing the worry for _him_, and all he could do was pull her back to him, brushing his lips against her forehead, murmuring, "I'm glad."

By the time they arrived at the hospital, she was unconscious in his arms, but there was a peaceful look on her face, so he reluctantly let the medics settle her down on the gurney before they wheeled her away to get her checked up.

Lisanna and Elfman burst into the hospital about ten minutes later, with Erza, Freed, Bixlow, and Evergreen at their heels.

Laxus told them the room number and the seven of them took over the chairs in the hallway, waiting for the doctor to report on Mirajane's condition. Thankfully, she wasn't in terrible shape, and she only needed to stay two nights for observation and recovery.

The nurses told the group that as long as they were quiet and didn't disrupt the other patients that they could see her. Laxus watched everyone else follow the two siblings into the room, leaving him to his thoughts.

"U-u-um L-Laxus?" A timid voice called, snapping him out of his thoughts.

He looked up and saw Lisanna standing nervously.

"Yeah kid?" He responded.

"Um. C-Could you come here for a second? Elfman and I need to tell you guys something." The youngest Strauss murmured nervously, her voice quiet as she gestured to the room.

"Are you going to tell us what you meant by your demon comment?" Erza asked once Laxus stepped inside and closed the door.

Lisanna exchanged a look with Elfman and the male Strauss nodded. "This only happened once before, but… sis is pretty protective of us."

"We already know that," Evergreen pointed out, but she was shushed by Freed.

"This is the only way I can put this… you know how you sometimes read about articles where a family gets into a car accident and the mom suddenly gets superhero strength to lift the car up to save her kids? That's kind of what we're referring to with the demon, except when it happens to Mira, she gets really scary. We know she'll never hurt us, but when she goes into demon mode she even scared our dad."

"She doesn't remember what happens though, but it's like it's against her genetic code to hurt us or something. Our sis is more of a man than our so-called father." Elfman elaborated.

"That might explain why that man was suddenly so cooperative with police by the time I got there…" Laxus commented thoughtfully.

* * *

Keeping a bored Mirajane company was certainly an experience.

Had she been anyone else, he was certain he would've been bored, but because it was her he was simply amused.

He had wandered into the children's ward and found a video game counsel and had hooked up the system to the television set in her room.

She had never played videogames before, and so he attempted to teach her how to play Mario Kart.

Key word: attempted.

"No! Princess Peach!" Mirajane squealed, frantically pressing buttons as she tried to steer her character away from her opponents.

Meanwhile, Laxus had given up trying to teach her how to play and he simply sat back, laughing. His controller sat at the edge of her bed, untouched.

"How do I use a special move?!" She demanded.

"You have to drive through one of those boxes first, sweetheart," He pointed out, grinning as she drove around it, mistaking it for an obstacle.

* * *

Laxus couldn't remember the last time he was this entertained. She really was something.

After a couple rounds and almost throwing her controller at the T.V., the nurse came in with pain medication.

The medication knocked her out shortly, and now she was resting peacefully on the bed.

"You are such a sweet boyfriend! She's lucky to have you!" The nurse smiled at him as she checked Mirajane's stats.

"It's the other way around," He muttered awkwardly as the nurse left.

* * *

_**End part 3.**_


	5. Part Last

A/N: This was originally supposed to be 2 chapters, but it pretty much wrote itself. It's the shortest chapter, but aren't endings supposed to be short and sweet and whatnot?

**Part Last**

"_She comes to speak to me  
__I freeze immediately  
_'_cus what she says sounds so unreal  
_'_cus somehow I can't believe that anything should happen"  
__-High Above Me, Tal Bachman_

* * *

Mirajane was finally released from the hospital, much to the amusement of her friends and siblings.

However, Makarov only let her come back to work under the condition that she was not to stress herself and that she was to take a fifteen minute break every hour.

By her third break, Mirajane was caught between amusement and exasperation.

Laxus had made himself comfortable at the bar and was following her every move with his eyes, making sure she wasn't lifting anything too heavy and that no one bumped into her, and he timed her breaks.

"Oy, it's break time." He muttered, taking the tray from her hand and passing it to another waitress.

She pursed her lips. "I'm feeling fine, Laxus."

"You had a deal with gramps and me." He pointed out, and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"You don't have to babysit me, you know," She returned.

"Your siblings will have my head if anything else happens to you," He murmured.

"They're picking me up after work." Mirajane responded coolly.

"Your best friend is going to come after me if I leave you alone." The blond countered, an amused glint in his eyes.

"I doubt you're scared of any of them." She commented. "I'm not going to break anytime soon."

* * *

Laxus had to admit, he was a little confused. He thought he had finally started to make some real progress, but she was acting weird. Kinda closed off, skittish.

He didn't remember doing anything wrong…

So he supposed he would have to take charge and go directly to the source to figure out just exactly what was going on with one Mirajane Strauss.

* * *

Mirajane finally finished her shift, much to her relief. How long did she have to work like this with all the constant breaks again? Not that she didn't appreciate the care and concern, but it was starting to get a little suffocating.

She finished putting the plates into the cupboards and closed the cupboard doors when hands placed themselves on both sides of her body, caging her in.

She froze, but recognized the familiar scent and slowly turned around. "What do you want, Laxus?"

"I don't remember you being like this in the ambulance, princess." He commented gruffly, then his voice became soft. "Did I do something wrong?"

Oh. So she _had _been acting differently. Darn it. Of course he would notice…

* * *

"T-that was my first kiss," She whispered shyly, blushing at her own admission.

He felt his own eyes widen in surprise. "Really?"

She nodded, facing downwards. He could almost feel her nervousness and embarrassment, and was overwhelmed by the need to reassure her.

He placed two fingers under her chin and tilted her head to face him. "Hey, that's nothing to be ashamed about. You'll be getting plenty of kisses to make up for that."

When Mirajane blushed, he laughed and leaned in to brush his lips against hers again, firm and hard and urgent. He pressed her into the counter, and her hesitation melted away. Her arms reached up to loop around his neck, and ne smiled against her mouth. He daringly ran his fingers down her back to cup her rear, and when she gasped he took the opportunity to delve his tongue into her mouth. She tasted like honey.

She really was just too perfect.

* * *

"_I know where I belong and nothing's gonna happen, yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah  
_'_cus she's so high, high above me, she's so lovely  
__She's so high, like Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, or Aphrodite, oh yeah  
__She's so high, high above me"  
__-High Above Me, Tal Bachman_

* * *

"This is getting tedious. I can't believe he hasn't asked her out yet!" Lisanna complained.

"It _is_ becoming a little sad to watch," Evergreen agreed, a glint in her eyes.

"But sis is happy." Elfman pointed out.

"She would be happier if Laxus finally manned up and asked her to be his girlfriend." The youngest Strauss countered.

"We really shouldn't interfere…" Freed started, but Bixlow gleefully cut him off. "This is going to be so fun!"

"If you hurt sis though, I'll kill you all." Lisanna declared fiercely, causing the occupants in the room to pause and stare at her in disbelief.

"And if she doesn't, I'll do it. After all, I'm the man and sis said so!" Elfman quickly backed his sister up, grinning all the while.

* * *

Laxus sat at his typical spot, looking at the drink in his hand while watching a certain waitress out of the corner of his eye. He was currently in deep thought, and stuck in an interesting dilemma that had left him wondering for days.

The dice had been rolled, the cards laid out. All that was left was for him to make his move, but the question was how.

Mira was a special girl, so if he were to ask her out, and he would have to ask her out because there really was no other way about it, he needed to make it special.

* * *

"Okay, so sis has a regular shift today." Lisanna said. "Usually on Mondays she stocks shelves, and the supply room is right next to it, so if you can get Laxus in there, she should hear everything…"

* * *

"Laxus?" A voice called.

The blond turned to see Evergreen. "Yeah?" He grunted.

"Let's talk." She said, her voice saccharine sweet, gesturing to the empty supply room.

He followed her in, and she pulled the door shut. "So tell me about your relationship status with Mira."

"….."

At the unamused expression on her longtime childhood friend's face, she pressed on. "Tell me she means something to you."

As she expected, he got defensive, immediately retorting, "No, she means nothing to me."

What a liar.

"Oh really?" She smirked. "So this is all an act?"

Laxus frowned, but reluctantly admitted, "…no."

Her smirk widened.

* * *

Mirajane was re-stocking some ingredients when she overheard familiar voices speaking.

"No, she means nothing to me." Laxus said coolly.

"Oh really? So this is all an act?" Evergreen asked.

* * *

There was a crash from nearby and the rush of footsteps.

Laxus stopped. He didn't think anyone would be anywhere close, but…

He poked his head around the corner and caught a glimpse of white before it disappeared from his sight.

He swore loudly, turning back to his friend accusingly. "You knew she would be listening."

Evergreen shrugged. "Well now you have to man up and talk to her, unless you want to lose her to that other guy."

"I hate you guys." He muttered, grabbing his coat.

"You know you love us." Evergreen smirked, but he flew past her without another word.

* * *

Mirajane ran out the doors of the bar, angrily brushing off her tears. "Stupid men," She whispered to herself.

She knew everything was too good to be true. She wasn't like any of the girls, she knew-

She walked into a wall.

She moved to walk around it but an arm reached out and grabbed her wrist in a firm but gentle grip.

Mirajane froze at the familiar touch.

"What do you want?" She asked tonelessly, trying and failing to hide the hurt.

"You heard." He stated.

"Yeah." She responded.

He was silent for a moment and then grinned. "You're pretty presumptuous. Who said anything about you?"

Mirajane flushed. "You-"

He cut her off without giving her a chance to speak. "Although I guess I can see why. I mean, it's not like your siblings and our friends doesn't know that I adore you or anything."

She froze.

He gently tugged her to him. "And it's not like I don't clearly like you or anything."

"I-If this is part of your games, I won't play." She trembled, trying to keep a brave face but he saw right through it to the hurt in her eyes.

"I never play for something I don't intend to keep." He stated bluntly, his eyes dark and serious and all traces of amusement gone.

"B-But-"

He sighed in frustration and dropped his head to touch his forehead to hers, looking her in the eyes. "They've been trying to force my hand, although I was already planning on doing this anyways. I _like_ you, you exasperating woman. I want to date you, take you out, kiss you, cuddle you, and more. But only if you'll have me."

She blinked. "…oh."

He smirked. "I'm guessing that's a yes."

She smiled. "You're the presumptuous one."

He smiled back arrogantly. "I _always_ get what I want, princess," and leaned in and kissed her tenderly.

Mirajane swore she heard cheers and applause coming from the bar, but all she could think of at the moment was Laxus's lips on hers, his arms around her waist, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he drew her closer, and she smiled against his lips, both of them with their eyes blissfully closed.

* * *

_**Fin.**_


End file.
